Personal Injury Lawyer Waterbury CT

Suffering an injury can turn your life upside down, causing severe pain and possibly preventing you from working while medical bills and other expenses continue to grow.

With decades of experience handling accident claims throughout New Haven County, the Waterbury personal injury lawyers at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC can help you obtain the compensation you need. We have recovered more than $75,000,000 for our clients and have the skills and resources to handle a wide variety of personal injury claims. If your injuries are a result of another’s actions, we can help you get the justice you deserve. Contact us today for a free, no obligation consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis and charge no upfront fees for our services.

What is Considered Personal Injury?

Personal injury law covers a wide range of situations leading to serious injury and wrongful death. These can include auto accidents, nursing home abuse, truck accidents, slip and fall injuries, and more.

If another party was responsible for your injuries, you may be able to recover compensation

The trauma of a serious injury can result in significant medical costs, lifetime disability, chronic pain and suffering, and emotional and psychological problems. You could be forced to change occupations or you may lose your ability to work entirely, costing you income.

If another party was responsible for your injuries, you may be able to recover compensation to help cover these enormous costs and alleviate some of the suffering you have incurred. Our Waterbury personal injury lawyers can help you determine your legal options.

Should I Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?

You are allowed to represent yourself in any case and are never required to hire an attorney. However, seeking legal guidance from a reputable attorney is always in your best interest.

After an accident or injury, you will have to file a claim with an insurance company in order to obtain the compensation you need to cover the medical bills, lost wages and other damages you have experienced. Although this process can be quick and easy for some claims, it can become extremely complicated for others.

You should always remember that insurance companies are businesses focused solely on making a profit. Because of this, they do not have your best interests in mind and will do everything they can to pay the least amount possible for your claim. In some cases, this is nowhere near the amount you deserve and need.

An injury attorney will serve as your advocate throughout the insurance claims process, making sure your best interests are always put first and that you receive the compensation you deserve. If the insurance company is not willing to pay the amount you need, you may have legal options that would enable us to file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf.

The majority of personal injury cases do not go to trial, as both parties will generally prefer to settle out of court. Settlements resolve issues quicker and avoid additional costs associated with courtroom procedures. In the less frequent instance that your case does go to trial, you will want an experienced attorney to represent you.

Experience Counts

When hiring a lawyer to handle your case, experience counts. Founded in 1990, D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC is committed to providing quality legal representation for injury victims throughout Waterbury and the surrounding areas. Our team of accomplished Waterbury personal injury lawyers is experienced in handling a wide variety of claims and has recovered millions on behalf of our clients.

We are committed to fighting for the justice our clients deserve and helping them get the compensation they need after an accident. Partner Mike D’Amico is the Immediate Past President of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, where all of our attorneys are active members. He and partner Thomas Pettinicchi are also members of the Waterbury Bar Association and many other local and national organizations that are focused on fighting for justice and educating the legal community.

Through our decades of experience, we have helped numerous injury victims get the compensation they need to get back on their feet after an injury.

$6,721,524 jury verdict for a woman who was severely injured after her vehicle was struck by a tractor trailer.

$875,000 settlement for a woman who fell, suffered a head injury and later died as a result of negligent care from her nursing home.

$390,000 settlement for our client who was seriously injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver.

What will Hiring a Lawyer Cost?

Many people falsely assume that because they cannot afford a lawyer, they will not be able to take action when they are denied compensation. D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC offers our services on a contingency fee basis, which means you will not pay anything unless we recover damages for you.

Our firm will put forth the funds needed to thoroughly investigate, build, negotiate and try your case at no upfront cost to you. If we recover compensation on your behalf, we will only charge a percentage of your recovery.

We also offer a free, no obligation consultation during which time our Waterbury personal injury lawyers will go over your case so you understand your legal rights. You may be presented with several options for compensation and we will help you determine the option that is best for you.

Determining If You Have a Case

When determining if you have a case, our accident attorneys will investigate and analyze the circumstances that led to your injury. Most injury claims are a result of another’s negligent actions, whether careless or intentional.

In order to have a case, we must be able to show that:

Duty of care – The at-fault party had a duty to act within a reasonable standard of care and not cause you harm. This can include obeying all traffic laws.

Breach of duty of care – The at-fault breached this duty by acting in a way that others would not have in the same situation. In a car accident case, this can include speeding, driving under the influence or running a red light.

Causation – Finally, we must be able to prove that the breach of duty directly caused the accident that directly caused your injuries.

After your free case evaluation with our team, we will get to work investigating the circumstances surrounding your injury in order to build a strong case on your behalf. We will:

Gather evidence from the accident scene, including any available photos or videos

Interview witnesses for more information about what happened

Review your medical records and consult medical experts if necessary to determine the full extent of your injuries and how much compensation you will need for your recovery

Review the history of the at-fault party to identify any previous infractions or similar types of claims

Reconstruct the accident scene to determine the exact cause of the accident

Work directly with the insurance company so you do not have to

Time Limits for Filing a Personal Injury Claim

If you think you may have a case, it is vital that you contact our Waterbury personal injury lawyers as soon as possible.

In Connecticut, you have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit

In Connecticut, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is two years from the date of the accident or when the victim first discovered the injury within three years after the accident.

In some cases, there are additional notice requirements as short as 90 days. If you wait longer than this to file, you will not be able to file a claim or recover compensation.

Our team is familiar with the many statutes and regulations that surround all types of personal injury cases and will advise you of those that are relevant to your claim. We need time to discuss your case with you, so do not wait to contact our Waterbury personal injury lawyers for a free, no obligation consultation.

You have only two years to file a claim. Do not wait to call us at (866) 848-7077.

How Much is my Claim Worth?

The size of a monetary settlement or judgment depends on a number of factors, and there is no guarantee of a specific amount that can be recovered. Compensation is awarded based on the damages you suffered and can be broken down into two categories:

Economic Damages

Medical costs

Lost wages

Loss of earning capacity

Rehabilitation costs

Property replacement

Alternative forms of transportation

Funeral and burial expenses

Noneconomic Damages

Physical pain and suffering

Mental and emotional suffering

Loss of companionship for spouses

Loss of emotional support

In rare cases, a court may also award punitive damages if the at-fault party’s actions were particularly malicious or egregious. This type of compensation is meant as a way to punish the at-fault party rather than as a form of compensation for the injured victim.

Our Waterbury personal injury lawyers will work to make sure you receive the maximum compensation you need for the injuries, losses and damages you have suffered.

Compensation Limits

Although Connecticut does not have a cap on the amount of compensation you can recover from a personal injury lawsuit, there is one rule that could limit the amount of compensation you receive.

The state’s modified comparative fault rule Sec. 52-572h could reduce the amount of compensation you are entitled to if you are found to be partially at fault for causing the accident that led to your injuries. As long as you were less than 51 percent at fault for the accident, you will be able to recover compensation. The amount you receive, however, will be reduced by your percentage of fault.

For instance, if you are found to be 10 percent responsible for the accident and are asking for $10,000, your compensation will be reduced by 10 percent, allowing you to recover $9,000.

This concept is regularly used by insurance companies who may try to place more blame on the victim than they should. Having a reputable accident attorney by your side from the very beginning can help make sure you are not blamed for more than your share of fault in causing the accident. As talented negotiators, our accident lawyers know how to work with the insurance company for your benefit.

Types of Cases We Handle

With more than two decades of experience representing the injured, our Waterbury personal injury lawyers handle cases of all types and all sizes. We know that your case, no matter the size, is important to you and your family and we bring the same level of commitment and drive to every case we take, including those involving:

Car accidents

Medical malpractice

Motorcycle accidents

Nursing home abuse

Truck accidents

Our clients have experienced a wide variety of injuries, such as:

Scarring

Amputation

Spinal cord injuries

Head and brain injuries

After being involved in an accident, it is vital that you seek immediate medical care, whether from the emergency room at Waterbury Hospital, your primary care physician or a walk-in clinic. Your injuries may be obvious or may not show up for days or weeks, but seeking medical care can ensure that you begin receiving the treatment you need to recover. It will also establish a medical record that is directly related to the injuries you sustained in your accident.

Trusted Waterbury Personal Injury Lawyers

If you have been injured and are considering your legal options, it is important to have legal counsel that you can trust. For more than 25 years the Waterbury personal injury lawyers at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC have been helping injury victims in New Haven County.

We will not charge you anything unless we recover a verdict or settlement on your behalf. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.